Device for supporting the under part of the foot.



Patented Dec. l7, |9o|.

J. s. HUWKINS.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING THE UNDER PART OF THE FOOT.

(Application filed Aug. 5, 1901.

(No Model.)

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iJNiTE STATEs PATENT @EEicE. I

JOI-IN SHIRLEY HOWKINS, OF THORNTON HEATH, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING THE UNDER PART OF THE FOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 689,080, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed August 5, 1901. Serial No. 70,992. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN SHIRLEY How- KINS, engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 45 Beulah Road North, Thornton Heath, county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Devices for Supporting the Under Part of the Foot, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices intended for supporting the arch of the foot, and has reference more particularly to a built-up metallic spring-plate intended to be strapped onto the foot or to befitted in the sole of the boot and curved to fit the arch of the foot.

A feature of the invention is the special arrangement hereinafter described for obtaininga high degree of elasticity especially along the inner half of the device'z 6., the part corresponding to the hollow side of the foot.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of one form of the device. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is an illustrated perspective View. Fig. 4 illustrates the way the device is built up and shows an end view of the three leaves or plates separated.

a, b, and c are three thin resilient leaves or plates of steel which have teeth out in them on one side and are bent to the required form and then tempered. The teeth a c of the top and bottom leaves or plates at and cslant in opposite directions, so as to cross orinterlace with each other, while the teeth bof the intermediate plate are shortened and are straight-2'. e., they do notslant.

The device has a slight sweep or curvature in the direction of its length and a somewhat sharper bend following the line at or, Fig. 1, which produces a hollow in the upper side well adapted to fit comfortably into the arch of the foot.

The fact of the inner half of the device having the interlacing teeth, as shown, imparts a great degree of elasticity under that side of the foot where the yielding tendency is greatest. Moreover, this elasticity is very evenly graduated, since near the line :0 a: the support is given by all three sets of teeth, while toward the edge only the two interlacing sets act. Moreover, it will be seen that the teeth overlap in a particular way,the tooth at the heel end (the lower part of Fig. 1) overlapping the next, and so on. Thus the pressure which usuallystarts at the heel is transmitted from tooth to tooth along the whole series. It will be seen that the tips of the longer teeth form a practically continuous line and constitute the inner edge of the device.

The perspective view, Fig. 8, shows very clearly the general contour of the support. This figure is not intended to illustrate the arrangement of the teeth, which is clear from Fig. 1, and hence these are only partially indicated.

It should be understood that single plates with straight teeth may be used to form the device, if desired, although the spring-plates with teeth are preferred. Furthermore, the support may be strengthened when required by suitable reinforcing leaves or plates, as may be found desirable.

The device is preferably held together by stitching d, passed through holes 6 and through the roots of the adjacent teeth, as shown. It may be provided with a covering f, of leather or any other suitable material, to which light straps or bandssay of elastic may be attached for the purpose of securing it to the foot. Such a covering and straps are indicated in Fig. 3.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a device for supporting the under part of the feet, a plurality of superposed plates having teeth on their edges and said teeth being interlaced.

2. In a device for supporting the under part of the foot upper and lower plates having oppositely-inclined interlaced teeth and an intermediate plate having teeth interlaced with said other teeth.

3. In a device for supporting the under part of the foot the combination of thin superposed resilient plates, teeth on said plates arranged to interlace, and meansforsecuring said plates together, substantially as de scribed.

4. In a device for supporting the under part of the foot, the combination of thin superposed resilient plates, interlacing teeth on the inner sides of said plates, means for holding said plates together, a covering to inclose said plates and straps to hold the device in position against the under side of the foot.

5. In a device for supporting the under part of the foot the combination of an upper resilient leaf or plate having teeth slanting one way, a similar lower plate having teeth slanting the other way and interlacing with the first, and a similar intermediate plate having shortstraightteeth substantially as described.

6. In a device for supporting the under part of the foot the combination of an upper and esepso lower resilient leaf or plate having interlacing teeth, an intermediate resilient plate having shortened interlacing teeth,a covering for said plates, and straps or bands for holding them in position beneath the foot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in presence of two subscribing wit- 

